Backrest assembly for chairs



June 5, 1962 D. E. GARDNER ETAL 3,037,814

BACKREST ASSEMBLY FOR CHAIRS 2 Sheets-Shee t 1 Filed Sept. 14, 1959 INVENTORS mm: a. amen y MAW/l0 M. XII/6.

n-roe/a/ June 5, 1962 D. E. GARDNER ETAL 3,03

' BACKREST ASSEMBLY FOR CHAIRS Filed Sept. 14, 1959 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 2 IINVENTORS mm? 5. 6400MB? 22 BY Mfl/PWM M- MM;

. firram ey tates 3,037,814 BACKREST ASSEMBLY FOR CHAmS Unite David E. Gardner, Taylor, and Marvin M. King, Oak

This invention relates to backrest assemblies for chairs, whether folding or non-folding, and more particularly to a novel backrest assembly and structure for removably securing the same to the chair frame.

It is the object of this invention to provide a novel backrest assembly adapted for easy and removable mounting and interlocking with a hollow backrest frame.

It is another object to provide a novel backrest assembly and including cooperating snap fasteners and apertures between the frame and backrest assembly providing an effective interlock and at the same time an easy method for assembly and disassembly.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claim in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the chair backrest frame and backrest assembly in approximate mounting position.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the assembled backrest and frame.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of the asembly shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the backrest panel plate with mounting flange.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view thereof.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the keyhole mounting opening shown in FIG. 5.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show fragmentzuily an inverted U-shaped tubular frame 11 for a chair, which may be a folding chair or a non-folding chair. In the present embodiment the tubing is square in cross section.

The frame bight 12 is curved or concaved rearwardly and includes through its front wall a series of spaced apertures 13. Headed screws 14, or similar fasteners are threaded into lower side portions of frame 11, project forwardly thereof and are adapted to be received within the keyholes 15, formed in side flanges 19 of back panel plate 18.

The backrest assembly, generally indicated at 16, carries adjacent its upper rear surface a series of rearwardly extending resilient snap fasteners 17 adapted for interlocking and removable projection within frame apertures 13 upon assembly, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, for the purpose of fixedly, yet removably securing the backrest assembly upon said frame and in cooperation with fastening means 1415.

Backrest assembly 16 includes the metallic formed panel plate 18 which has along its sides and top a continuous marginal flattened mounting flange 19, which as shown in FIG. 6, extends generally at an obtuse angle with respect to adjacent portions of plate 18.

The upper portion of plate 18 including the top flange is slightly concave rearwardly at 20 to correspond with the concavity of frame bight 12 for snug cooperative engagement therewith. Lower portions of plate 18 are concaved rearwardly at 21 to a greater extent to cooperatively receive portions of the users back providing a comatent fortable backrest assembly, as is noted in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6. The bottom edge of plate 18 is rolled rearwardly as at 22, FIGS. 3 and 4.

A series of resilient snap fasteners 17 project through corresponding spaced apertures in top flange 19, each fastener including a transverse base 23 which bears against said flange.

A resilient padding 24 of cotton batting, Tufflex or other resilient material is positioned over the front surface of plate 18 and is covered and retained by a formed strip of suitable material, such as some of the plastics, like vinyl or Naugahyde, with the margins of the strip extending around the periphery of plate 18 and secured as by cement or suitable adhesive to the rear surface of the panel flange, as particularly shown at 26 in FIG. 4.

The bottom edge of the strip of material 25 has a hollow hemmed portion 27 sewn therein which encloses the seaming cord 28 to thus form an enlargement at the bottom edge of the strip, which is cooperatively and retainingly received within the reinforcing rolled portion 22 of backplate 18.

The material extends snugly around the rolled portion 22 and snugly and cooperatively over the entire top surface of the padded backrest plate 18.

A protective beading 29, preferably formed of an extruded plastic such as vinyl, and of continuous form is peripherally mounted on and extends around the sides and top of padded backrest plate and outwardly thereof. Said beading includes a continuous flange 30 which is suitably bonded or otherwise secured to rear portions of the vinyl cover 25, as shown in FIG. 4-. This may be accomplished by a heat seal, adhesive or equivalent securing means.

Accordingly beading flange 30 is interposed and secured between frame 1112 and the covered backplate flange 19 completing the assembly, as particularly shown in FIGS. 3-4.

In operation, the backrest assembly 16 is completed as a unit as shown in FIG. 1. Said backrest is brought into lateral juxtaposition with the upper portion of the U- shaped tubular backrest frame 1112 so that backplate flange 19 cooperatively registers with the corresponding front wall of said frame.

The keyhole apertures 15 cooperatively receive headed screws 15 simultaneously, after which the backrest assembly is slightly elevated completing the interlock between members 1415. As a second step snap fasteners 17 are manually projected into the respective undersized apertures 13 in frame bight 12 completing the assembly which snugly and fixedly secures said backrest to the chair frame. At the same time the backrest assembly is easily removable manually. Interlocking fasteners 1415 could be replaced with a snap fastener.

Having described our invention, reference should now be had to the following claim.

We claim:

In a backrest for a chair, an inverted U-shaped tubular frame, a backrest assembly consisting of a formed back panel plate, a continuous flange upon the sides and top thereof of a shape corresponding to the upper portion of said frame, said plate spanning said upper portion with said flange snugly bearing against corresponding portions of said frame, there being keyhole apertures formed through lower ends of said flange, headed fasteners on said frame projected into said keyhole apertures and interlocked with said flange, there being a series of spaced apertures formed through the front of said frame at its upper end, and a corresponding series of snap fasteners secured to and projected from top portions of said flange removably interlocked within said frame apertures, said snap fasteners and headed fasteners being engageable and disen-gageable with said frame and flanges respectively by 3 snap and sliding actions whereby said backrest assembly 2,550,479 is easily assembled and disassembled relative to said 2,628,668 frame. 2,706,5 18 2,785,733

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 72 191 2,364,647 OCOImOr Dec. 12, 1944 160308 2,415,889 Jdfe Feb. 18, 1947 795 2 4 4 Hoven Apr. 24, 1951 Basile Feb. 17, 1953 Fleisher 2 Apr. 19, 1955 Witty Mar. 19, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Netherlands Oct. 27, 1949 Australia -2 Jan. 21,1955

Great Britain L May 21, 1958 

